The general state of chaos in which the United States left Iraq with, to this day, no strong central government.

How stupid does he have to be to write that? Or is he just a lousy liar?

Those of us who actually paid attention to the issue of Iraq over the
last years know damn well that Nouri implemented a power grab and did so
with no objection from FPIF which had no time for Iraq. And now it
wants to play catch up and, lazy student, uses Andrew Cockburn's (bad
and biased) reporting to play catch up.

Is it any wonder that Wellen and Foreign Policy In Focus are fumbling in the dark?

Nouri's corruption did not begin in his second term.

Congress heard repeatedly about his corruption.

In fact, Barack heard repeatedly --

Oh, wait, he didn't.

Had he attended Committee hearings in 2007 and 2008, he would have heard
about Nouri's corruption but, of course, he was too busy for hearings,
rushing in only when the cameras were present.

His desire to take over the central bank and the courts were already well known.

But when he made those efforts in his second term, FPIF didn't say one
damn word. If Russ missed these events, he'll never find them in
Patrick Cockburn's writings filled with lust for thug Nouri.

Lust for war is something FPIF would rail against if it had any guts.

It has no guts and no spine.

Strolling through the western press on Iraq today is very depressing.

Iraqis still don't matter.

The Islamic State, we are told, are 'barbaric,' vile and many other things.

And the proof?

One American journalist and one American and Israeli journalist were killed.

Their deaths are unfortunate.

But this is the basis for worst terrorists ever?

In fairness to the press, the White House -- both US President Barack
Obama and US Vice President Joe Biden -- repeat similar statements near
constantly -- that these deaths will be avenged and blah, blah, blah.

Not only does this nonsense erase Iraqis and their suffering from the
public history, it also shows an extreme ignorance of history -- from
early US history all the way up to at least the Symbionese Liberation
Army.

The deaths are regrettable but they're justification for massive military maneuvers?